Simple vegetables, transformed. At two Sydney restaurants, we discovered the power of sesame seeds and a good char.

First, Firedoor, where food is cooked over wood flames, heat wafting from the open kitchen. It’s the place to get a perfectly seared 174-day dry-aged Angus steak. So I ordered cabbage—a hearty wedge of green, smoky and charred outside, tender and rich inside. The whole of it was infused with a sweet, bright vinaigrette and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds.

Next, Fujisaki, an Asian eatery where chard and green beans are served gomae style, paired with a dressing of toasted sesame seeds reminiscent of a light yet rich peanut sauce. The vegetables were fine; it was the sauce that had me scraping the bowl.

At Milk Street, we loved these simple ways of elevating basic vegetables. Our version of the cabbage replaces open fire with a high-heat oven. We thoroughly season each layer of cabbage, then drizzle it with a blend of spiced rice vinegar, soy sauce and honey. A finish of sesame seeds adds savory crunch.

The sauce at Fujisaki was delicious with chard, but we liked it even better with broccoli. And borrowing a lesson from Firedoor, we briefly charred it in a cast-iron skillet.

JM Hirsch

J.M. Hirsch is a James Beard Award-winning food and travel writer and editorial director of Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. He is the former national food editor for The Associated Press and has written six books, including “Freezer Door Cocktails: 75 Cocktails That Are Ready When You Are.”